Devices for positioning a medical device generally require the treatment area to be positioned centrally in relation to the holding fixture. In such conventional methods, the positioning fixture can be moved in space along a rail bent into a C-shape. The patient's treatment area is preferably positioned in the center of the C-shaped rail. A fixture of this kind can be used for supporting both X-ray and shock wave generation devices for treating bone growth or for lithotripsy of kidney stones. Accordingly, the medical device is aligned along an arc located on the same plane as the patient's treatment area.
A disadvantage of the conventional devices is that the treatment area must be positioned centrally in relation to the arc-shaped arrangement of the holding fixture in order for the X-ray beams or the focal point of the generated shock waves to be oriented specifically for the device. Thus, even minor positioning inaccuracies outside the center point of the holding fixture can lead to unwanted medical side effects. For example, the shock waves can have a characteristic that is not suitable for the required successful treatment effect in this position. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure at all times that the patient's treatment area is positioned precisely in the spatial area of the center of the arc-shaped holding fixture.
A further disadvantage of conventional methods is that the device can only be aligned in one plane in relation to the treatment area. As a result, geometrical adaptations intended to arrange the treatment area in the specified center point are very time consuming because the treatment area, i.e. the patient, must be precisely positioned with regard to the holding fixture and must be fixed in this position for the duration of the treatment. This is because the device in accordance with the prior art can only be used along the holding fixture in accordance with the rail bent into a C-shape, meaning that the alignment of the device is two-dimensional.
Thus, a need exists in the art for a device that addresses the deficiencies of conventional devices.